WALDOBORO — The Maine Fire Marshal’s Office Monday afternoon said that work continues by the state Medical Examiner’s Office on the identity of the man whose body was found just before noon last Friday at the scene of an early morning fire at Pinkham’s Auto Repair shop on Route 1 in Waldoboro.

State officials said Friday the business’ owner, Jeff Pinkham, was missing.

Waldoboro Fire Chief Paul Smeltzer said heavy, black smoke was showing from the building when he first arrived at the fire scene just after 5 a.m. April 24, and initial reports were that nobody was inside. The remains were later located in the building's basement, said Smeltzer.

It took Waldoboro firefighters about a half hour to get the fire under control, as most of the fire was from burning tires under the floor in the pit area under the floor where mechanics would stand to change a vehicle's oil.

Waldoboro Fire Department was assisted at the two-alarm fire at 1376 Atlantic Highway by firefighters from Bremen, Jefferson, Warren and Washington.

Pinkham was reported missing Friday night, according to the Maine Fire Marshal’s Office Friday evening, and his truck was parked inside one of the building's garage bays at the time of the fire. Fire investigators said it appeared the fire started in the basement, but the cause remains under investigation.

The Fire Marshal's Office was called to the scene Friday, along with a representative from the Maine Medical Examiner's Office, a crew from Clean Harbors and an excavator.

A Clean Harbors hazardous waste disposal team was called to assist in pumping out the building's basement pit, which became filled with water and hazardous fluids while battling the fire.

The body, which was burned beyond recognition, was removed from inside the building earlier in the day Friday, and taken to Augusta for autopsy. DNA work will likely be necessary to Identify the man found inside the burned building, and that work is taking place this week.

Reach Editorial Director Holly S. Edwards at hollyedwards@penbaypilot.com